Fencer Archive
Thread: Am I the only one who finds our weapons look awful?
I agree some better designs would add a lot to the fencing profession, but it just occured to me that the reaoson our damage is so low, isnt down to offset our speed advantage, but because they modelled real fencing weapons and the low damage simply reflects the bending of the blade 
Good point.
hmm...*looks at the damage ability of 'true' fencer weapons...then looks at the damage ability of the weapons they have in game.* Somethings not right here...and thus I go back to my point on them titling us 'fencers' only because that fits the genre best and covers one-handed sword users in general.
For instance: the character of mine (in fiction I am writing...well trying to write) I based Trazu off of uses a Shaolin broadsword, a one-handed curved blade. If I was to have that character square off against Trazu and have Trazu use only a 'real' fencing weapon...Trazu would get his arse handed to him in terms of pure damage.
Also...here's another point.All 'true' fencing weapons I've seen are preicing weapons and thus would have some good armor preicing ability. Most of the blades we have in game are chopping/slicing weapons, thus are crap when it comes to the armor priecing department.
They should give us 'true' fencing weapons with the armor priecing ability they would have and thus be more true to the name 'Fencer'. Or change the overall name to what the class truly is based on the weapons they have given us...and adjust our damage output accordingly.
Yes we have the moves and the stance but our weapons don't match...
hey that rhymed...*giggles*
Slaskia wrote:
Good point.
Also...here's another point.All 'true' fencing weapons I've seen are preicing weapons and thus would have some good armor preicing ability. Most of the blades we have in game are chopping/slicing weapons, thus are crap when it comes to the armor priecing department.
They should give us 'true' fencing weapons with the armor priecing ability they would have and thus be more true to the name 'Fencer'. Or change the overall name to what the class truly is based on the weapons they have given us...and adjust our damage output accordingly.
Actually, the rapier, which heralded the 'sport' weapons epee, foil and sabre, was not intended to and could not penetrate armor. Armor was rendered by big heavy broad swords. : ) Light leather armorwas sometimesworn during the age of 'the rapier', but other, heavier armor was simply too encumbering.
I posted this awhile ago about the misconcepting that traditionally, what we consider to be 'Fencing' weapons, are actually weapons that could be used in real combat:
Foils were never really *weapons*. They are first mentioned historically during the reign of Louis the XIV, where they were used as a substitute for training inrapier , making it less dangerous to do so. The foil then followed a natural progression to a 'sport' weapon. Some historians believe that it actually never went through this evolution, and that it was a sport 'weapon' from the start.
I cringe every time someone mentions us using foils for weapons in the game....
The epee is a tadmore formidable as originallydeveloped in the 19th century, when dueling was illegal. It was slightly lighter than the rapier, but still designed for the "no rules" "I'm fighting this duel to win" type of fighting.(Which actually had, by this point,become (usually) a "whoever draws first blood" sort of situation) Otherwise,at this time, most 'swordplay' (as my Fencing Master fondly referred to it as ) had largely been replaced by stylized 'exhibition' type fighting, with all sorts of rules and regulations. Pistols were more common, and infinitely easier to learn to use- which really was what lead to the downfall of the swordsman. Not, as some believe, that they were more deadly. Moderns day epees however, are not what they once were.
Sabres are descendents of the cavalry sabre, which were used on horseback in the 18th and 19th centuries. These are also now 'sport' weapons, having made the transition in the mid-19th century by army-types.
Interestingly, in sport competition... the 'rules' parallel each weapon's history. The foil, a stylized, exhibition weapon- may only be used on the torso. The epee, with roots in dueling, and satisfying one's honor, may strike on any part of your opponent's body. The sabre, with roots as an officer's weapon while mounted on a horse, may only strike from the hips, up - and that includes, head, neck..etc. Thegoal being, to save the precious war horse that took YEARS to train and was *very* valuable.
Personally, I'd like to see more modern takes on these weapons- as mentioned before, by making the blades do energy/acid/poison/electric damage.
But if this isn't possible, rapiers are a must- Flamberge would beawesome (these were a one handed sword with a deadly wavy blade WAY cool looking) and small swords are an acceptable (but less formidible looking) substitute.
There are also, historically a lot of different types of curved swords that were quite lethal. We have that in the Rykk, but other options include theKICK ASS Viking laengsaex and the shorter sword- the scramsax. The Germans had a few as well... the only one I can recall is the Messer. (which means 'knife' in German).
Seena... who still thinks we need to bring our weapons "into the future"
I like the idea of having sheaths for the weapon. However I think what a sheath should do, depending on the quality of the sheath made by an armorsmith would give a temporary about of durability.
Say a low quality sheath would provide up to 20 points of temporary durability, a medium quality 50-60where a high quality could provide up to 100 points of temporary durabilty before actual damage begins to the weapon.
just my 2¢'s...
Gaderiffi Batons wouldnt so much sheathe to a belt as 'clip' to a belt or something like that. It could also have a magnet in it that would attract to a magnet on your belt, or something like that. 
The person who posted about sheathes being everywhere reminded me of a character I had on a MUD called Discworld MUD. He was a big tough warrior who specialized in all kinds of weapons (we had piercing, slashing, and blunt damage in that mud).He kept two sheathes for for some really sharp short swords on his belt. He had a sheathe on his back with a two-handed Worm Sword,a blunt weapon consisting of a magically rendered giant worm with a hilt, a very nice blunt weapon in the game,two piercing stilettos ready to be pulled out of his backpack at any time, and a great big Ornate Warhammer he carried in his arms. I could have also had boots with one sheathe each in them, but I didnt like daggers so much. He also carried an average of 5 or 6 extra weapons in the backpack "just in case". And that doesnt count the stuff he looted off bodies.
Ahhh.... the memories. I loved being a walking armory.
lol spartan, you're welcome- I am a walking library of useless information! : )
Seena